Wounded Animal
by MykaGhostt
Summary: Fumiko Matushita is an old childhood friend of Sakurakouji's who moved overseas when the two of them were in elementary school. Fumiko has now returned to Japan after many years of being away. Will they be reunited as friends and remember each other, or never remember the others' existence and become complete strangers?
1. First Day -- First Half

_A scream erupted from the young child's lips as she was slammed into the wall at full force. A large hand on her throat cut off her air supply despite how she clawed at it with her dull fingernails and kicked at the man with her short legs. He simply laughed at her struggles as her efforts slowly began to cease while her vision blurred with tears. Her head began to feel light. She couldn't breathe. He was suffocating her. Would she die this time? Would her suffering end, finally?_

_ He let go and she collapsed on the floor, coughing and sputtering; taking deep breaths as she slowly crawled into the corner of her bedroom, curling into the fetal position._

_ "We never wanted you, you know. You've ruined our lives," he said as he drew closer._

_ The child was shaking, her eyes wide with fear as she watched him come closer for she couldn't bear to look away._

_ "You sucked our money out from under us!" he boomed before beginning to slash her arms and legs with his switchblade as she screamed and cried for someone to help her. _

_She tried her best to protect herself._

_ No one came._

Fumiko Matsushita woke with a start. She was in a cold sweat, and her body was shaking uncontrollably. She slowly sat up as she stared at her bare arms and legs, trying to force the trembling to calm itself, but knowing it was fruitless. The scars were still there. She touched her neck. It felt like it was burning. Had she been screaming in her sleep again?

She sighed and climbed out of bed, carefully walking to the bathroom. She dreaded what she would see in the mirror. What stared back at her was a ghostly pale face with hazel eyes that were red. They were aching from the tears she must have cried thanks to her night terror. Her dyed hair was a mess. The left half, which was a light blue, had crossed over to the side of the dark purple, which was on her right. It was knotted terribly. She must have been tossing and turning furiously in her sleep. She wished the memories would quit haunting her, but she knew they never would.

Fumiko quickly brushed out her wavy, shoulder length hair and made sure to part it in the middle while she swept her bangs to the right side. She brushed her teeth, gargled with mouthwash, put on deodorant, and opened the medicine cabinet that contained her anxiety and depression medication. She popped the pills into her mouth and swallowed without water before putting them back and closing the cabinet again, her face appearing in the mirror. She didn't look as much of a mess anymore. Her body was still shaking slightly, but it was sure to calm down. She didn't look like she was about to crack from the pressure anymore. Her eyes just needed some eye drops, but she had run out just yesterday. She'd have to buy some more after school.

Fumiko was to start her first day at Kibou High School today, and this wasn't exactly the best start. Though, what was she to expect? It was rare when her night terrors didn't make an appearance.

She exited the bathroom and opened her dresser drawers located on the opposite side of the room. She grabbed her uniform and scowled. She hated the color. Yellow complimented purple just fine, but it didn't look so great with blue. Not to mention yellow was a color that she didn't exactly like.

"Why do I have to attend this high school anyway?" she asked no one in particular.

Fumiko lived alone in her one bedroom apartment. She had recently moved back from Japan after staying overseas for the majority of her life. She barely remembered her home country, and only came back so she could become familiar with it again. Well, she also wanted to rebuild her life, but that wasn't possible considering how she didn't, technically, exist.

She sighed as she stared down at herself, especially at the short skirt. Fumiko _hated _skirts. She didn't like exposing her legs. They had the same scars as her arms. Unfortunately, both were exposed because it was still warm enough to wear the summer uniform. She already knew that her new classmates would ask unwanted questions.

"I could skip," she thought aloud.

She'd never go to school until the winter uniforms were released if she did. She'd fall so far behind in the curriculum that she'd never catch up. Knowing that bothered her more than what pestering she would receive if she went, so she sighed, grabbed a granola bar from the cupboard in the kitchen along with her pre-packed school bag, and headed out the door.

(…)

Fumiko arrived at the school on time and took a moment to stare while she stood at the front gate. High schools were nothing like this from where she had mostly grown up. They didn't look as fancy. If it weren't for the information that she had been given on the school before arriving, she would have thought that this was a school for high-class citizens. Needless to say, schools from overseas weren't as impressive.

People were staring at her.

"Of course they would," Fumiko muttered under her breath as she lowered her gaze. "My hair isn't natural, and it's not like I look familiar to any of them."

She sped walked through the front doors and tried to find her shoe locker. It was number 105, and it would have her name on it from what she was told.

"Excuse me…"

Fumiko looked to her right. A blonde haired girl with her hair in pigtails was standing a fair distance away from her.

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

"Uh… my shoe locker," Fumiko responded awkwardly. "I'm a new student."

The girl smiled warmly. "Oh, I see! What number are you?"

"105."

Her eyes widened. "Wow! You're right beside Sakura's locker!"

"Who?" Fumiko asked.

"Sakura Sakurakouji. She's the most popular girl in school, and I'm her best friend. My name's Aoba Takatsu. And you are…?"

"Fumiko Matsushita," she answered.

Aoba nodded and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you!"

Fumiko stared at it, and then to the blonde's face hesitantly. She didn't like to be touched. Even a handshake bothered her.

"Uh… I don't do touching of any kind," Fumiko mumbled.

"Pardon?" Aoba asked as she retracted her hand.

"Never mind. Can you show me to my shoe locker since you seem to know where it is?"

"Yeah, sure," Aoba replied. "This way."

It turned out that Fumiko was only three rows of lockers off from her own. It wasn't so bad. It could have been worse. She could have gotten lost while trying to reach the school since the map that she was given was hard to discern.

"Sakura!" Aoba exclaimed with glee. "You're here! I've been looking for you!"

The blonde immediately left Fumiko's side and ran up to a girl with long purple hair, which was kept out of her face with a headband.

"Good morning, Aoba," the purple haired girl replied.

"Oh! That's right, we have a new student at our school!" Aoba said as she turned and pointed to Fumiko. She tried not to wrinkle her nose at the rude gesture. It wasn't like she was an animal in the zoo that was made into a spectacle.

"Nice to meet you," the purple haired girl said. "My name is Sakura Sakurakouji."

"Fumiko Matsushita," she introduced, again.

"You're shoe locker is right here, Matsushita," Aoba said cheerfully as she patted the locker directly beside Sakurakouji's.

_I didn't think I was going to be _that _close to her, _Fumiko remarked.

She nodded and opened it, seeing her indoor shoes already inside. They were brown dress shoes that resembled men's footwear if they planned to appear like a classy gentleman. It made her cringe. She actually had to wear those?

She sighed, slid her outdoor shoes off, slid the indoor ones on, and closed the locker. Today wasn't looking up.

"What class are you in, Matsushita?" Sakurakouji asked.

"Class 1-B," she answered.

"Hey, that's our class!" Aoba exclaimed with excitement.

_Great… Just what I wanted, _Fumiko thought.

"Would you like us to lead you there?" Sakurakouji asked.

As much as she hated to admit it, Fumiko didn't know where she was going. This school was huge, and if she went alone, she was likely to get lost. Inevitably, she'd have to go with them despite how much she really didn't want to.

"Yeah, that'd be great," she replied, trying not to sound sarcastic for once in her life.

"Great! Just follow us!" Aoba said.

* * *

Hey guys! I hope you like my first chapter of my Code Breaker fanfiction! I tried not to make the first chapter too long, so I hope I accomplished that goal.

I only started watching the anime recently, and I'm on episode 9 as of this chapter's posting; so please bare with my knowledge of the story and characters.

Anyway, please leave a review so I know what you think! Thanks for reading!


	2. Frist Day -- Second Half

Fumiko carefully wrote her name on the chalkboard. It had been a while since she wrote Japanese characters. She had begun to study the language as soon as she found out where she was originally from, though it had been difficult, but she hadn't written characters often because she would get frustrated and quit.

When she finally finished, she moved out of the way of her name and faced that class.

"I'm Fumiko Matsushita. Nice to meet you all," she introduced.

Everyone clapped, though many stared, and before the teacher could tell Fumiko where she was going to sit, a hand shot up from the crowd.

"Yes?" the teacher said.

"I have a question for Matsushita," the female student replied.

The teacher gazed over at Fumiko, seeming to ask if it was okay. Fumiko sighed under her breath and nodded. She'd have to get the questions over with eventually.

"Why do you have such severe scars on your arms and legs?"

Everyone went quiet and stared wide-eyed at the student.

"Yamaguchi! That's a very rude question to ask!" the teacher scolded. He turned to Fumiko and said, "You don't have to answer that."

"It's fine," Fumiko replied. "It isn't like she's the first to ask."

The classroom became very still.

"I was abused as a child. I originally lived in Japan, but was forced to live with my aunt and uncle overseas because my family was reported. I was only in elementary school, so I don't remember much about the move, or anything beyond the severe abuse I received. These scars," Fumiko held her arms up so everyone could see, and then pointed to her legs, "were from various instruments that my parents used to beat me with. Majority of the scars you see was from my father's switchblade."

Silence continued to engulf the room as no one dared to move, but their expressions were a range from shock, disgust, horror, and pity. Again, today was not looking up. In fact, Fumiko was beginning to think that she should have skipped after all. Her classmates would probably only befriend her out of guilt and pity instead of out of general interest in who she was.

Another hand rose.

"Rei Ogami, I don't think it's appropriate to ask more questions," the teacher said sternly.

"It's okay," Fumiko interjected. "Again, this isn't the first time people have asked me about my scars."

The teacher only looked at Fumiko with pity before nodding. He probably thought he was feeding her to the lion's den, but she had already been there, and to much worse places than that.

"Do you know what happened to your parents afterwards?" Ogami asked.

"No," Fumiko replied, "but their faces are firmly ingrained in my memory, so if I ever saw them again…" her voice trailed off.

Everyone was quiet.

"Alright!" the teacher interrupted. "Questions are done. Everyone can get back to them after class. For now, Fumiko, please take your seat behind Sakurakouji."

Fumiko nodded and rushed to her seat, almost tripping and falling. Finally, she could sit at the back of the classroom, sink into her seat, and remind herself that she didn't technically exist. She was a Code Breaker from overseas that recently transferred to Japan that still needed her schooling. That was all.

(…)

The bell rang for lunch to start, and Fumiko felt relieved. She could slip away into the crowd and find somewhere quiet to eat where she could be alone. Or, there was still the possibility of skipping the rest of the day. The idea taunted her like a carrot on a stick in front of a donkey, but again, she was reminded that she couldn't skip. Her anxiety was already bad enough as it was, and if she missed classes and started to fall behind, she'd never catch up and she'd have attacks left, right, and center.

"Matsushita!"

Startled, she looked up and saw Sakurakouji standing directly beside her desk with a large lunch box in hand.

"Would you like to eat with my friends and I?" she asked.

Fumiko blinked from surprise. Now that she thought about it, Sakurakouji looked familiar, though she couldn't figure out why. Even her name sounded like something she had heard before. She pushed the thought aside.

"Uh… sure," Fumiko answered, not really sure how else to reply.

"Great! We are eating on the roof today, so just follow me," Sakurakouji said as she turned to leave the classroom.

Fumiko stood up and swung her bag over her shoulder, noticing that Ogami and Aoba were also following Sakurakouji. As she followed suit with the others, she noticed how the two girls spoke so naturally to each other while Ogami tailed behind staying silent, and then there was Fumiko who trailed behind the taller male. He seemed just as anti-social as she was, but maybe she was just imagining it.

Fumiko didn't like people. She didn't like being touched. She didn't like people trying to get close to her. She didn't like bonding. She just didn't like company. She liked being alone. It was one of the few things she could handle.

The group reached the roof, and Sakurakouji grinned and said with profound joy, "The weather is fantastic! There is not a cloud in the sky!"

Aoba nodded enthusiastically while Ogami didn't care.

"I brought enough food for everyone," said Sakurakouji, "so don't hesitate to take some food, Fumiko."

Her expression was warm and welcoming. It made Fumiko nervous. All the memories of her parents' abuse washed over her and she looked to the ground, feeling her body betray her as it began to tremble. If only her doctor allowed her to take her medication more than twice a day… She would take it so the shaking would stop.

"Fumiko?" Sakurakouji said while sounding concerned.

"Uh, I brought my own lunch, so I'll be fine," Fumiko replied, slowly lifting her head again as she tried not to fidget or appear nervous.

"Oh, okay," she replied. She hadn't noticed Fumiko's efforts to hide her mental illness at all. She felt relieved.

(…)

The bell rang, signifying that school was thoroughly done for the day, and Fumiko was more than willing to go home. Everyone had been extra kind to her, which was more bothersome than anything, and teachers were far too kind as well. The only one in the school who hadn't seemed to treat her differently than everyone else was Ogami. She wasn't sure what to think about that, but it was nice.

Her cell rang.

She sighed and opened her bag, searching for a while before finding and answering it. "07 speaking."

"There's a car waiting for you outside the school," said the voice on the other end.

"I assume I'm meeting the other Code Breakers today?" Fumiko asked.

"Yes. Two are already in the car."

They hung up.

Fumiko stared at the screen of her cell phone with curiosity. Two others were already students in the school? That couldn't be a coincidence. Was there a person of interest in the school?

She slid her phone back in her bag and looked up. Sure enough, there was a black truck that fit at least 4 people parked outside of the school's gate.

"Why do they always choose black as a color for vehicles?" she muttered under her breath as she headed towards the truck.

She opened the door to the back and stared at the other person who was inside.

"Ogami?"

He looked over and trailed his eyes up and down Fumiko. "So you're the new Code Breaker. I'm not surprised."

She climbed in and set her bag on her lap, closing the car door.

"So who's the other Code Breaker?"

Ogami pointed to the passenger seat in front of her, and the Breaker turned around in his seat, his yellow eyes seeming to pierce into Fumiko as his white hair began to cause a shadow over his eyes.

"My name is Heike Masaomi. It's a pleasure to meet you, Fumiko Matsushita."

"Uh… you too," Fumiko replied before the other male turned back around to face the front.

The car began to leave the curb and merge into the rest of traffic. Fumiko hadn't thought about who was driving the car until then, so she looked to the drivers side. A young female with brown hair and square glasses sat, her gaze focused on the road. She looked familiar, like she had been walking through the halls of the school earlier today, but Fumiko couldn't be sure. She could only see a slight profile of the woman's face.

Fumiko stared out the window on her left side, watching the cars, buildings, and pedestrians pass by. Her mind drifted back to the memories of her past, trying to connect to anything that could spark a memory that wasn't spoiled, yet nothing she saw reminded her of anything that could connect her to Japan. It was understandable. She had received so much damage from her family that all she wanted was to block it out; pretend like it wasn't happening, or that it even happened in the first place. There were probably many things she didn't recall. Hell, she didn't even know what school she went to in elementary, or what she even looked like. There were no pictures of her from that time, and no photo album to speak of. There weren't even pictures of her as a babe. At least, her aunt and uncle didn't have any.

She noticed a park just before the car turned a corner. Children were playing on the jungle gym, and two girls were playing in the sandbox. A feeling of nostalgia overwhelmed her as an image of a girl with purple hair, styled as a bowl cut, flashed in Fumiko's mind. She blinked a couple times, pressed herself to the window, desperately trying to get a better look at the park, but she was too late. The car had long left the area.

She slowly peeled herself away and stared at her lap.

_What was that?_

"Fumiko?"

She lifted her head and stared at Ogami, her eyes wide. "Ye-yes?" she asked, startled.

His gaze kept hers for a minute before he sighed, resting his elbow close to the window, his hand holding his chin as he stared out of his side of the car. "Never mind."

Fumiko blinked out of confusion before saying, "Okay," and turning her gaze back to her own side.

_I'll try and figure it out later. Right now, I have to focus on meeting the other Code Breakers, _she told herself.


	3. Meeting

The truck parked in front of a fancy white building that appeared to be similar to the White House. Fumiko, as far as she knew, hadn't seen it before. It wasn't in the few pictures she looked up on the Internet when it came to what Japan looked like. Regardless, it had to be an important building.

"Where are we?" she asked before climbing out of the truck, her school bag slung over her shoulder as she continued to stare.

Ogami and Heike also immerged from the truck. The driver stayed inside. Neither of them answered her question. They simply walked across the street and entered the property grounds. Fumiko followed, but was annoyed. A person was not supposed to ignore another's existence on purpose. It was rude, disrespectful, and was likely to create a reaction from the one being ignored, whether it be good or bad – though the outcome was likely terrible.

"I asked a question," she said, her tone on borderline shouting as they entered the building.

"You're an impatient one," Heike remarked as he looked over his shoulder at her. "Don't you enjoy mystery and surprise?"

"No," she answered as she glared venomously at the white haired male.

"What a pity," he replied as he returned to looking ahead of himself.

A pity? Why was it a pity? Was he implying that she was missing something important? Her anger dashed out of sight, and worry settled in. Were those qualities something she needed? Why didn't she have them if that was so? Her pace began to slow, but she continued to follow the two young men up until the elevator where she stopped directly in front of the open door, the two of them staring at her.

"Get in already," Ogami said, his tone harsh and cold.

Fumiko could feel her body begin to shake again. She dug her nails into the palms of her hands and hid them behind her back.

_"Get in!" he shouted as he tried to shove her into the bathroom. She was resisting and clinging to the doorframe, her heels digging into the floor. She knew what would happen if she went in willingly. He'd fill the tub with bath water and dunk her in. He'd begin to drown her before letting her up for air, laughing as she would spit up water and gasp for breath. He'd say something like, "Just kidding," in a sickening, teasing tone before leaving her alone to silently cry and wish he had just killed her._

_ "Mommy!" Fumiko screamed as she cried. "Help, mommy! He's going to kill me! He's going to drown me!"_

_ There was no answer._

_ "Why won't you do anything to stop him?!" Fumiko demanded in agony._

_ Her arms gave way to her father's shoving. She fell to her knees. She tried to stand up and run before he grabbed her, but it was too late. He had already snaked his arm around her waist and chuckled as he closed and locked the door._

_ "You're not getting out," he whispered in her ear. "You're never getting out."_

"Ca-can't we take the stairs?" Fumiko asked nervously. She didn't want to feel trapped. She didn't want to feel closed in. She didn't want to feel like there was no escape for her until the doors allowed her to leave.

"The elevator is faster," Ogami replied, implying that he'd rather not take the stairs.

"How about I just take the stairs then? You two can hurry on up, and I'll just take my time."

"We have to keep our eye on you because you're new," Heike explained, "so, unfortunately, we can't leave you unattended."

Neither of them were being the least bit sympathetic. Heike even seemed to enjoy this moment.

_Please don't be a sadist, _Fumiko begged. _I don't know if I could handle that, Heike._

Fumiko sighed. She saw no way around it. It was two against one. She'd have to take the elevator and hope she didn't suffer from a panic attack along the way.

She carefully stepped inside and stood between the two of them. Ogami pressed one of the buttons, and then another. The door began to slowly close. Fumiko gulped and took in a deep, silent breath in before it closed completely.

The elevator jerked into motion.

As the trio ascended, Fumiko's head began to spin. She felt dizzy, and suddenly the profound breath she took didn't feel like enough air.

_Fumiko struggled against her father's strong hand as he held her under by her head. She clawed at his grip, she tried to move away from it, she tried pushing up with her legs to try and reach the surface of the water, but it was no use. She was weak compared to him. A grown man against a six-year-old girl…_

_ She shot out of the water and tumbled over the side of the bathtub, completely exposed to her father's sight. She was naked, wet, and gasping for oxygen. Her body was trembling. Adrenaline rushed through her like rapid fire as she backed herself into a corner._

_ He stared at her for a good, long minute before he began to laugh. He stood up, walked over to her, and lifted his hand. She flinched and closed her eyes, preparing for some sort of deadly blow. There was a pause, and then he simply laid his hand on her head gently, messing up her hair before kneeling down in front of her. Out of surprise, Fumiko opened her eyes. He gazed at her with such kindness that she was confused, and didn't know what to do. She couldn't even bring herself to cry._

_ "You know I love you, sweetheart, don't you?" he asked._

_ Fear crept in. What would he do if she didn't say yes? She didn't know if he did. She didn't know anything. One minute he'd be beating her, cutting her to pieces, suffocating her, trying to drown her, etc. and the next he'd be so loving…_

_ Fumiko nodded._

_ "Good," he said before removing his hand, standing up, unlocking the bathroom door, and leaving._

_ Fumiko collapsed on the floor, her body a mixture of adrenaline, nerves, and the beginnings of relief and calm settling in. She didn't know what she wanted more: her father to stop hurting her, or for him to go too far and kill her in the process._

"Get me out…" Fumiko whimpered very lightly.

"Pardon?" asked Heike as he stared down at Fumiko. She had sat herself on the floor and curled up into the fetal position. Her breathing had become more auditable, and it sounded panicky.

"Get me out!" Fumiko shouted before standing up and rushing to the elevator doors, beating on them with her fists before trying to pry them open with her fingernails.

Ogami stared in shock before grabbing a hold of her, pulling her away from the doors.

"Calm down!" he said, trying to restrain her.

Heike slowly keeled over, his chuckles faint, but they soon turned into hideous laughter.

Fumiko froze in Ogami's arms and gaped at the white haired male. His laugh… it sounded like _his_ laugh; her _father's_ laugh. It sounded so similar, and yet it couldn't possibly be his. Maybe she was imagining it? Maybe she was self-inserting the sound because of her memories?

Her lungs were on fire. She couldn't stop taking heavy, shallow breaths. The room was spinning even worse than before, and there were several Heike's laughing manically at Fumiko's expense. Her stomach churned. She couldn't take this. She couldn't take this anymore!

"Matsushita!" Ogami shouted just as Fumiko had become limp in his arms.

(…)

Fumiko stirred and slowly opened her eyes. It was bright in the room, so she lifted her hand and blocked the light.

_Where am I? What happened?_

Her mind was muddy, but as she sat up it started to clear. She was with Heike and Ogami. They entered an elevator and she didn't want to go in, but they didn't want to take a different way to their destination, so she went inside to avoid exposing the details as to why she wanted to take the stairs. Giving a brief description to classmates as to why she had scars was one thing, but revealing details of the abuse? Showing her anxiety to others? That was entirely different.

"Well what do you know, she woke up."

Fumiko turned her head and saw Ogami leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. Heike was sitting at a table reading a book, and there were four strangers among her in a room she didn't know how she got to.

"Who are you?" she asked. "How did I get here?"

"Who are we?" asked a blonde male with two-toned eyes; one blue and one brown. "We should be asking who _you_ are."

There was also a blue haired woman wearing a white shirt and a black leather jacket, and a boy with red hair with a strange hoop necklace around his neck that had a vial attached to it. Finally, sitting behind a desk, there was a middle-aged man with light brown hair wearing a business suit.

"You're the Code Breakers I was supposed to meet," Fumiko realized as she swung her legs over the side of the couch she had previously been laying on and stood up. "My name is Fumiko Matsushita. I will be your new recruit, Code 07."

The middle-aged man smiled and explained, "Matsushita is a Code Breaker who came from overseas. She was known as Code 01 there, but since she has transferred here, we have put her at the lowest rank so we may test her skills, and also to be fair to everyone else."

"Oh?" the blonde said as he smiled and looked Fumiko over. "Strongest Code Breaker from overseas huh?"

"And you are?" she asked.

"Toki Fujiwara, also known as Code 04."

"I'm Rui Hachiouji," said the blue haired woman. "I'm known as Code 05."

"Yuuki Tenpouin. Code 03," introduced the red head.

Heike closed his book and looked over to Fumiko. "We met in the truck, but I'm Code 02."

Fumiko nodded and then looked over to Ogami. "You must be Code 06 then."

He simply nodded.

"I guess I can't tease him for being the lowest ranked anymore," Toki said. "but I can certainly tease the newbie."

His expression was devilish. He appeared to be the most excited one out of the group to get a new member. The others were interested enough to introduce themselves and arrive for this meeting, but that was where their interest ended.

Fumiko didn't reply to him as she walked up to the desk, which the middle-aged man sat.

"Are you the President?" she asked. "The leader of Eden?"

"Yes, I'm Fujiwara Souri," he answered.

Fumiko glanced at Toki. "You're the President's son." She looked him over and noticed his uniform. She recognized the name of the school from her research on Japan. It was known for being a very expensive school that had top-notch curriculum, along with many other things.

"That explains the uniform," she added.

Toki grunted, beginning to look annoyed, and crossed his arms as he looked away from her gaze. Clearly she had hit a sore spot. Maybe they didn't get along?

"So is that it? Introductions are over, so can everyone go home now?" she asked as she took another look around the room.

It was quite boring. There were a couple plants here and there, windows behind the President's desk, his desk was neat and tidy, there was the couch beside the door, and a couple picture frames of various things, but nothing to take note of.

"Yes, that'll be it for today," the President said as he chuckled. "Though, I am curious as to why you were brought into my office unconscious."

Fumiko froze.

"It's nothing important," she said flatly, making it very clear that the topic was not up for discussion.

There was a pause of silence, but soon enough, the President sighed and said, "Alright. You can go."

* * *

**Hey! If you've read this far, please give my fanfiction a review so I know what you think of it! It would mean a lot!**

**Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone know that I originally started writing this while watching the anime, but now I am also reading the manga. Updates might be slow because of this, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless :)!**


	4. The Process of Becoming a Code Breaker

Fumiko left the building by herself, and before she crossed the street, she turned to take in the sight. It really did look complimentary to the White House, though there were minor differences. She would be working for Japan's district of Eden now. Her curiosity from the flight to this country that had occurred only a couple days ago resurfaced. How strong were these Code Breakers? Would she be able to ascend the ranks quickly, or would it be more of a challenge than it was overseas? Furthermore, why were two, now three, Code Breakers attending the same school, and why was one of them strongly attached to Sakurakouji? Maybe an assignment really was involved?

She shook her head and turned to face the street. A more pressing matter was presented to her. How was Fumiko going to get home? She wasn't familiar with the area at all.

Fumiko sighed. "Great."

"What's great?"

She turned around and was greeted by the sight of Ogami.

Fumiko only glared before turning back around, replying with a fierce, "Nothing," before digging through her bag for the slip of paper which contained her apartment's address.

Ogami appeared by her side and leaned forward just enough so he could see the profile of her face.

"You know, Matsushita, you can just hitch a ride in the truck back to your apartment," he said.

Fumiko pulled the paper out of her school bag before zipping it closed and looking across the street. The truck was still there.

"Are you being driven somewhere? Is that why you're saying I can join?" she asked, switching her gaze to his. He appeared disinterested as he shrugged and crossed the street, heading for the truck.

_He's an odd one, _Fumiko concluded before she followed him and got into the same side of the vehicle as she did last time. Ogami did the same.

"Is Heike being driven somewhere too?" Fumiko asked, wondering why Ogami didn't take the front seat.

"No, he can manage on his own," Ogami replied, his arms and legs were crossed as his head was lowered. His cold eyes were shut. "Where do you need to go?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, here," Fumiko answered as she held out the paper with her address on it to him.

He opened his eyes and took the slip of paper, handing it to the driver after tapping her on the shoulder numerous times. She had been sleeping, apparently, while they were having their meeting.

The car started, and the three of them took off.

"Oh, I was going to stop at the pharmacy before I went back to my apartment," Fumiko remembered aloud. "Oh well, I can do it tomorrow."

"The pharmacy?" Ogami inquired.

"I ran out of eye drops," she explained.

"Do you wear contacts?" Ogami asked.

"No," Fumiko answered. "I use them after I wake up and before I go to bed."

Ogami chuckled and stared out his window.

"What?" Fumiko asked, scowling at the dark blue haired Code Breaker.

"Nothing. You're just odd," he answered.

"Hmph!" Fumiko scoffed as she crossed her arms and stared out her window as well. "I could say the same about you!"

"Oh? How so?" he asked as he stared at Fumiko with a sly smile.

She turned to face him and was surprised. He was quite attractive when he smiled in such a way.

She pushed the thought aside and answered, "You act cold towards others, yet you try to help them. It's unusual. Why not just show your true intentions?"

His smile disappeared as he began to glare at Fumiko. Again, she was surprised. He could change expressions so easily and quickly. More so than she had seen anyone else do.

"It's none of your business," he said curtly as he turned back to the window on his side.

Fumiko stared at his figure for some time. He seemed to be wound up tight. Stressed out. He was an interesting fellow. Honestly, each Code Breaker in the world was intriguing in their own way. Fumiko probably was too; she just didn't see it in herself. All she saw were broken pieces that were sewn together in a mixed matched fashion to make up for the missing pieces that disappeared when she broke down.

She lowered her gaze before turning to her window and staring outside of it, watching the streetlights pass by as they provided light. She felt like there was only one streetlight on the inside of her. She was underneath it, desperately clinging to it's light, hoping that it would never go out and eventually bring her out of this darkness that she was surrounded by. How long had she been wishing for happiness and splendor to chase away her fears and pain?

A park whizzed by as the car passed. It wasn't the same one as before, but it reminded her of the glimpse of the memory that had erupted from the sight. Who had that girl been? Fumiko recalled a sandbox, and that the two of them were playing together in it. The other girl didn't seem amused. She always looked bored. Her expression had been blank. Her hair was purple and cut in a fashion that didn't really suit her. Fumiko remembered thinking that if she had longer hair then she'd look much more pretty. Tried as she might, however, she couldn't remember her face or her name.

"Matsushita, we're here."

Fumiko shot her head up and stared at Ogami. Then she looked outside his window and saw her apartment complex.

"Oh! Uh, thank you," she replied.

Ogami held out the slip of paper to her, and she took it, shoving it back in her bag before opening the truck door on her side.

"Matsushita?"

She looked over her shoulder. "Yes?"

"The incident in the elevator…-" Ogami began.

"Oh, that? Just forget about it. Pretend it never happened," Fumiko said with a light, nervous laugh. "Anyway, thanks for the ride. See you at school tomorrow."

She hastily jumped out of the truck and slammed the door, rushing towards the stairs.

(…)

_There was a knock at the front door._

_ Fumiko's mother stood up, tossing aside the pot that had previously contained boiling hot water. Fumiko was slumped against the wall in the kitchen, her burns immediately beginning to blister. Her mother's words echoed over and over in her troubled mind._

_ "Useless child! You can never do anything right! You've driven your father and I apart, and you constantly want attention! You're always asking to see a doctor. Do you even know how much they cost? They're expensive! Just put up with your injuries, you weakling! Or better yet, why don't you just go die? We never wanted you anyway. You are a mistake!"_

_ Her body should have been searing hot. She should have been able to feel the burns that covered her entire body, but she was numb. She couldn't even cry._

_ Fumiko had no one. She thought she could rely on her mother. She thought that one day she would rescue her from her father and take her someplace safe. _

_Her soul shattered. She didn't have the drive to stay alive._

_ Someone picked her up from the floor. In a daze, she looked up. A woman's face stared down at her with a kind of vulnerability that Fumiko had never seen before. Tears began to well in the woman's eyes as she hugged Fumiko close to her chest and began to cry._

_ Fumiko reached up and touched the woman's face and asked, "Miss, why are you crying?"_

_ The woman was silent for a moment as she stared down at the child with wide eyes before bursting into uncontrollable sobbing as she carried Fumiko away._

Fumiko's eyes flittered open. She was tangled in her bed sheets and her hair was a mess. For a change, her throat didn't burn and her eyes weren't dry. Was it because of her dream?

She sat up and held her hand to her head as she rested her elbow upon her knee. She didn't recall the woman's features. She only remembered the type of expression she wore, and her blubbering. Yet, it seemed as though Fumiko had met her before she was taken away from her parents. She just didn't know when, or where, such an encounter could have taken place.

A pitiful laugh escaped her lips. "I must be losing my grip on reality," Fumiko said to herself as she climbed out of bed and went about her regular routine.

After she gathered herself and her things together, she left her apartment, closing and locking the door behind her. She had called the school to let them know that she'd be late for class this morning because she was visiting the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, though she was really only going to pick up those eye drops that she meant to grab last night. She briefly wondered when, and how, lying became so easy.

She had already looked up on her phone where the nearest pharmacy was, which was unfortunately located in the opposite direction of the school, and she carefully followed the path that her phone had laid out for her. As she did, her mind wandered back to the memories of abuse. She had often questioned why her parents had done what they did, but that was only after she had received such loving care from her aunt and uncle overseas. They really wanted the best for her. That was why when her ability began to show itself, they brought her to the authorities, and they took her away for some testing. However, after that, she never saw them again, and learned that she was alike to the other children at the facility that she was brought to. She did her schooling there with the other children and had befriended many of them somehow, but when the President himself came to visit… things changed.

Sometimes the children were pitted against each other so the researchers could examine their potential and skills. Fumiko often came out on top. It was rare when she didn't. The day the President came to visit was the same day that Fumiko's future changed, and the children who she had befriended had begun to treat her differently.

_"Do you know why I requested to meet with you in person, Fumiko?" the President asked._

_ Fumiko and the much older man were sitting in one of the meeting rooms that the children normally weren't allowed to venture into, especially when multiple people were inside. All of the chairs were surrounding this large, round table, which Fumiko and the President were sitting at. The room was quite boring. Besides the table, numerous chairs, plants and picture frames for decoration, the projector and the projector screen, there wasn't much in the room._

_ "No," Fumiko replied as she fidgeted in her seat. She hadn't liked how the others reacted when the President had boldly called out her name and motioned her to come with him with his pointer finger. They had all stared with wide eyes and open mouths, suddenly keeping their distance and easily allowing her through the crowd so she could reach him freely. It had felt like she had done something incredibly wrong._

_ The President smiled as he leaned forward, his arms resting on the table. Fumiko looked up to meet his gaze. From his demeanor, it didn't seem like she was in trouble. Quite the opposite actually. It seemed as though she had done something very well and he was about to congratulate her personally on her achievement, though she didn't know what it was._

_ "I came to offer you a way to be released back into society," he said._

_ Fumiko's ears perked up, and she straightened her back, her fidgeting instantly ceasing. The President's smile only grew._

_ "I see I caught your interest. Would you like me to continue?" he asked._

_ Fumiko nodded vigorously._

_ The President chuckled before explaining, "You posses a great control over your special ability. You also posses much strength and determination to prove that you can beat your opponent, and demonstrate that you're the best among all the children at this facility. As a reward for your efforts, I would like to know if you are interested in becoming a Code Breaker."_

_ "What's a Code Breaker?" Fumiko asked._

_ "A Code Breaker is a person who possesses a special ability who passes judgment on those who can't be judged by the law. They're like a hero of justice, if you will," he answered. "Do you remember what your parents did to you?"_

_ Fumiko nodded._

_ "Well, they certainly escaped judgment when they shouldn't have been able to, correct? After all, it should have been obvious to the people around you that you were being severely abused, don't you think?"_

_ Fumiko hesitated before nodding again._

_ "That's where a Code Breaker comes in. As an example, lets use your experience. Once Eden, the organization that catches wind of people like your parents, notices that justice is not being served, they'll send a Code Breaker to take care of the job. The Code Breaker kills the offender so they cannot break the law, and get away with it, ever again. The problem is solved, and then everyone lives happily ever after," he explained. "However, Code Breakers are a huge government secret. The general public doesn't know about them for their own safety. They'd be in a panic if they knew people with deadly special abilities existed, especially if they knew the government was using them. A Code Breaker's identity is kept secret. Their past is erased. They cannot be tracked by anyone other than the higher ups in the system. Technically, according to the public, a Code Breaker doesn't exist. Do you understand?"_

_ "I think so…" Fumiko replied._

_ "In that case, would you like to become a Code Breaker? We will be providing all the training you'll need, and you'll have an agent with you as support when you first start out," the President added._

_ Fumiko thought it over. If she could destroy the kinds of people who were like her parents so that they couldn't harm anyone again, that would be great. She'd be able to help others, and save them from the same situation she was in. She could be that someone that she never had. Despite that…_

_ "Would I be able to see my aunt and uncle again?" she asked._

_ The President's expression grew grim._

_ "Unfortunately, because you would be a Code Breaker, you would not be able to have any contact with any members of your family, or your friends that you made inside this facility."_

_ Fumiko's heart grew heavy. It was a brutal cost to pay for all the good she would be doing for people who were victimized like her, but she didn't want to give up this opportunity. She wanted to be like that woman who saved her. She wanted to be someone's savior._

_ "I could give you time to think-"_

_ "No!" Fumiko interrupted. "I'll do it."_

_ It took a minute for the President to recover from his surprise, but when he did, he grinned from ear to ear and held out his hand to Fumiko._

_ "Then welcome to the team," he said._

_ Fumiko took his hand and shook it._

"Miss? Miss!"

Fumiko snapped out of her daze and looked around, confused as to where she was.

She was in the pharmacy at the front counter with five boxes of eye drops in her hands. She hadn't recalled walking into the pharmacy or grabbing what she needed, let alone heading to the front counter to pay for them.

"Are you going to pay for these or what?" asked the cashier. She had grown impatient, and Fumiko didn't blame her. She didn't even know how long she had spaced out for.

"Sorry! Yes, I am paying for these," she said as she placed the boxes on the counter before digging into her school bag for her wallet.

As the cashier scanned the items, she stared at Fumiko's wrists. She tried to ignore her gaze, but it was difficult. Especially when she kept looking like she wanted to say something.

"That'll be 3528 yen please," said the cashier.

Fumiko nodded, remembering her studies on the difference in currency here in Japan compared to overseas as she dug through her wallet, handing the exact amount over to the woman.

She nodded as she quickly counted the amount and shoved it into the cash register, handing Fumiko her items in a bag.

"Thank you," Fumiko said before leaving the pharmacy and heading in the direction of her school.

* * *

**I hope you've enjoyed more insight on Fumiko :D! I'll get to something interesting soon enough that doesn't revolve around her past. Also, if you're thinking that she will be paired up with Ogami, that is not the case, so please don't misunderstand.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading :)!**


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